Electric Comet writes:

for making a frequent use item using thin wood what are some typical
wood selections

If I read your rambling correctly, you're asking
for a thin wood to use as a book cover.


think something like a book cover

oak comes to mind first but oak is dense and heavy

Not when it's 3/16" thick.

Use anything you like, you'll find little difference in weight
at that size.

A much more interesting question is how it should be finished
and bound.